Label-Free, Sensitive, and Versatile Colorimetric Method for Molecule Detection via the G-Quadruplex-Based Signal Quenching Strategy.

Signal amplification strategies have emerged as a prominent tool in the field of improving the detection sensitivity of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). It is important to highlight that the utilization of signal quenching strategies is not commonly implemented. A detection technique for sEVs was established based on the unwinding of G-quadruplex using Klenow fragment polymerase (KF), which served as an inspiration for this study. This system is characterized by its simplicity and lack of labeling, making it an efficient approach for signal quenching. In the presence of sEVs, the CD63 aptamer in the capture@sMBs complex binds with the CD63 protein on the surface of sEVs to release trigger sequences, which were employed as a primer to mediate the DNA polymerase/endonuclease-assisted signal recycling. The signal recycling process produces numerous single-stranded DNA sequences that can bind to the toehold section of the G-quadruplex. This leads to the rupture of the G-quadruplex structure and the subsequent deactivation of a DNAzyme generated by the G-quadruplex structure and hemin, thereby inhibiting its biological catalytic function. Consequently, the G-quadruplex structure would undergo a transformation to a duplex structure, leading to the emergence of a discernible differential signal that can be noticed in a majority of instances, even without the aid of magnification devices. The decrease in the prominent signal allows for the efficient analysis of target sEVs, which exhibit a notably low detection limit. In addition to the detection of sEVs, the approach has also been utilized for the investigation of miRNA-21. The approach demonstrates a high level of selectivity and robustness in its capacity to differentiate between target miRNA and base-mismatched miRNA as well as other miRNA families. This statement suggests that the assay holds significant promise for use in biochemical research and clinical diagnosis.

Analysis of Dopamine Receptor D2 Gene Polymorphism and Correlation with Dyslipidemia in the Chinese Population.

Objective: The study aimed to explore the genotype and allele distributions of dopamine D2-like receptor (DRD2) gene -141C and C957T polymorphisms in the Chinese Han population with dyslipidemia, as well as their association with serum lipid levels. Methods: One hundred fifty patients with dyslipidemia and 150 healthy people were recruited as the case and the control groups, respectively. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were detected. The target sequence of DRD2 polymorphisms was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and genotyped via Sanger sequencing. Results: In DRD2 gene C957T (rs6277), three genotypes of CC, CT, and TT were detected with the frequencies of 92.67%, 6.67%, 0.67% in dyslipidemia cases, and 83.33%, 14.67%, 2.00% in the controls, respectively. The CT genotype and T allele frequencies were significantly low in the case group relative to the control group. After adjusting to other clinical indicators, the CT genotype of C957T polymorphism (hazard ratio = 0.401, 95% confidence interval = 0.181-0.890, p < 0.05) was still related to a significantly reduced risk of dyslipidemia. The C957T CT genotype carriers had the lowest values of serum TC, TG, LDL, and the highest values of serum HDL-C. Conclusion: DRD2 gene C957T polymorphism was an independent influencing factor associated with the susceptibility to dyslipidemia, and the CT genotype was associated with decreased odds of susceptibility to dyslipidemia.

MiR-200b modulates the properties of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells by targeting WASF3.

AIMS: The aim of the study was to explore the effect of miR-200b on the development of human peripheral blood monocyte-deriveddendritic-cell (DC) and its mechanisms. MAIN METHODS: Expression levels of miR-200b and its predicted targets were measured by real time-PCR. Protein expression of WASF3 was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation from the buffy coat fraction of anticoagulated blood. Monocytes were purified from PBMCs using anti-CD14 microbeads. The immunophenotypes of DCs were tested by flow cytometry. KEY FINDINGS: A strong reduction in miR-200b expression was associated with human peripheral blood monocyte-derivedDC differentiation. The overexpression of miR-200b significantly reduced the numbers of protruding veils in mature DCs (mDCs) that are critical for promoting antigen-specificT-cell activation. Further experiments showed that miR-200b could regulate the function of DCs by targeting WASF3, a protein involved in cell movement and invasion. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results define an important function of miR-200b in the negative regulation of DC development and provide a potential form of miRNA-mediated cell therapy for diseases that range from auto-immunity to graft-versus-host disease.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 inhibits osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and impairs bio-scaffold-mediated bone regeneration in vivo.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) loaded bio-scaffold transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach for bone regeneration and repair. However, growing evidence shows that pro-inflammatory mediators from injured tissues suppress osteogenic differentiation and impair bone formation. To improve MSC-based bone regeneration, it is important to understand the mechanism of inflammation mediated osteogenic suppression. In the present study, we found that synovial fluid from rheumatoid arthritis patients and pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1α, interleukin-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor α, stimulated intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) expression and impaired osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. Interestingly, overexpression of ICAM-1 in MSCs using a genetic approach also inhibited osteogenesis. In contrast, ICAM-1 knockdown significantly reversed the osteogenic suppression. In addition, after transplanting a traceable MSC-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) construct in rat calvarial defects, we found that ICAM-1 suppressed MSC osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that ICAM-1 enhances MSC proliferation but causes stem cell marker loss. Furthermore, overexpression of ICAM-1 stably activated the MAPK and NF-κB pathways but suppressed the PI3K/AKT pathway in MSCs. More importantly, specific inhibition of the ERK/MAPK and NF-κB pathways or activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway partially rescued osteogenic differentiation, while inhibition of the p38/MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathway caused more serious osteogenic suppression. In summary, our findings reveal a novel function of ICAM-1 in osteogenesis and suggest a new molecular target to improve bone regeneration and repair in inflammatory microenvironments.

[ICAM-1 regulates differentiation of MSC to adipocytes via activating MAPK pathway].

This study was aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of the regulatory effects of ICAM-1 on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to adipocytes. The murine MSC cell line C3H10T 1/2 was treated with the supernatants contained plasmid MIGR1-ICAM-1 and MIGR1-ICAM-1/MSC (high expression of ICAM-1), the activation of the pathway was detected by Western blot. The ICAM-1 modified MSC and its control cells named MIGR1/MSC were cultured in adipocyte medium with or without the inhibitors of the ERK, P38, and JNK pathway. Oil-red-O staining was used to detect the lipid accumulation, and the expression of C/EBPα and PPARγ in differentiation of MSC to adipocyte were examined by real-time-PCR. The results showed that the overexpression of ICAM-1 stably activated the ERK, P38, and JNK pathway in MSC. Inhibiting of the activation of ERK pathways by chemical inhibitors up-regulated the mRNA expression level of C/EBPα and PPARγ in MIGR1-ICAM-1/MSC while inhibiting of P38 pathway resulted in lower mRNA expression of the transcription factors. Consistent with the mRNA expression, the lipid droplets were getting smaller and number of adipocytes increased when P38 pathway was inhibited, while bigger lipid droplet and increased quantity of adipocytes were identified in MIGR1-ICAM-1/MSC with the addition of ERK pathway inhibitor. It is concluded that ICAM-1 may suppress MSC differentiate into adipocyte via activating ERK pathway, while it can maintain the adipogenesis of MSC though P38 pathway.

[Effects of ICAM-1 gene transfection on the adipogenic differentiation of MSCs].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of ICAM-1 gene transfection on the differentiation of MSCs to adipocytes. METHODS: The recombinant retroviral expression plasmid MIGR1-ICAM-1 containing full length of mouse ICAM-1 gene was constructed. The constructed plasmid MIGR1-ICAM-1, empty plasmid MIGR1 and packaging plasmid ECOS were transfected into T293 cell lines and then the supernatant generated from T293 cells were used to infect mouse MSCs cell line C3H10T 1/2. The transfective efficiency was determined by inverted fluorescence microscope, real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Furthermore, ICAM-1 overexpressing MSCs (C3H10T 1/2-ICAM-1) and empty vector transfection MSCs (C3H10T 1/2-MIGR1) were cultured in medium with or without induction reagents, Oil-red-O staining was used to detect the lipid accumulation, and the expression of transcriptional factors C/EBPα and PPARγ, which were key factors in the differentiation of MSCs to adipocytes, were tested by real-time-PCR. RESULTS: The recombinant retrovirus vector containing mouse ICAM-1 gene was successful constructed. After transfection into MSCs cell line C3H10T 1/2, the overexpression ICAM-1 MSCs cell line (C3H10T 1/2-ICAM-1) and control cell line (C3H10T 1/2-MIGR1) were obtained. Furthermore, these two cell lines were treated without or with adipocytic induction reagents, C3H10T 1/2-ICAM-1 showed significantly lower mRNA expression level for C/EBPα [(1.2 ± 0.7), (2.9 ± 0.9)] and PPARγ [(1557.6 ± 70.2), (7547.0 ± 442.2)] when compared with C3H10T 1/2-MIGR1 [(5.8 ± 0.5), (23.0 ± 2.3) and (2453.0 ± 215.6), (9856.3 ± 542.2)](P < 0.05). Moreover, little lipid droplet and decreased quantity of adipocytes were detected in C3H10T 1/2-ICAM-1 [(3.2 ± 0.5)/well, (12.2 ± 3.8)/well] than that in C3H10T 1/2-MIGR1 [(11.2 ± 0.4)/well, (51.3 ± 2.8)/well] (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overexpression of ICAM-1 in MSCs can inhibit its adipocytic differentiation.

[Latest advances of studies on microRNA regulation in dendritic cells].

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, single-stranded and noncoding RNA molecules of about 22 nucleotides (nt) in length that regulate mRNA by binding to 3' untranslated regions (3'UTR) of target mRNA, inducing digestion, degradation and/or translational repression of the latter. Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression by miRNA is critical for a wide range of physiologic and pathologic processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, development and oncogenesis. Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen presenting cells that have a pivotal role in controlling immune responses. The latest studies indicated that miRNA are indispensable in regulation of development, differentiation and functions of DC. This review discusses the latest studies of miRNA controlling DC biological properties in order to deep understand the regulatory mechanism of DC, therefore, provide a new thinking for the therapeutic strategies of DC-associated immunological disorders.

[Effect of osteogenically and adipogenically differentiated bone mesenchymal stem cells from mouse on osteoclast formation].

This study was purposed to investigate the regulatory effects of differentiating mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) on osteoclast formation. The MSC from mouse compact bones were cultured and induced into osteoblasts and adipocytes for one week. To test their regulatory effect on osteoclastogenesis, osteogenically differentiated and adipogenically differentiated MSC were co-cultured with CD11b(+) monocytes and osteoclasts were identified with in situ tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. The results showed that differentiated MSC supported osteoclastogenesis but the osteoclast supporting capacity of osteogenically differentiated MSC decreased as compared with undifferentiated MSC. More interestingly, the adipogenically differentiated MSC significantly promoted osteoclasts formation when co-cultured with monocytes. It is concluded that the regulatory effect of MSC on osteoclast formation has changed while they have differentiated into different types of cells. The findings indicate that MSC may exert alternative effect on osteoclastogenesis by differentiation to descendant cells.

[Inhibition of CpG oligodeoxynucleotide on the development of pre-erythrocytic stage of Plasmodium].

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of cytidine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN) on the development of Plasmodium liver stage. METHODS: Plasmodium yoelii BY265 18S rRNA was cloned, and the TaqMan real-time PCR was established on P. yoelii BY265 18S rRNA and mouse GAPDH as quantitative analysis model. The model was tested by the level of liver Plasmodium load with the liver cDNA in BALB/c mice infected by salivary gland sporozoites for 42 hours. Twelve BALB/c mice were randomly divided into CpG group, CpG control group and PBS control group which were injected respectively by ODN1826 30 microg, ODN1826 control 30 microg and 0.01 mol/L PBS 200 microl via vena caudalis. Twenty-four hours later, each mouse was inoculated with 100 sporozoites. Mice were sacrificed in 42 hours after infection, and the liver load of Plasmodium was analyzed by TaqMan real-time PCR. RESULTS: The cloned Py BY265 18S rRNA gene showed 98% similarity to Py 17XNL. The quantitative analysis model consisted by 18S rRNA and GAPDH showed positive correlation between the level of liver Plasmodium load and the sporozoite inoculation dose to mice. The Plasmodium load in CpG ODN pre-treated mice was reduced to one fifth of the control group (0.28/1.33) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The quantitative analysis model of TaqMan RT-PCR can detect the liver load of Plasmodium parasites, and CpG ODN can inhibit the development of its pre-erythrocytic stage.

[Inhibition of Plasmodium yoelii circumsporozoite protein on the activation of nuclear transcription factor in hepatoma cells stimulated by TNF-alpha].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate on the effect of Plasmodium yoelii (BY265 strain) circumsporozoite protein (CSP) on the activation of nuclear transcription factor KB (NF-KB) in hepatoma cells (HepG2) stimulated by TNF-alpha. METHODS: Entire coding sequence of CSP was reverse transcribed and amplified by RT-PCR with sporozoite total RNA as template, then cloned into pFLAG-CMV8 for construction of the recombinant plasmid pFLAG-CMV8-CSP. Indirect immunofluorescence staining with rabbit anti-CSP was applied to verify the expression and distribution of FLAG-CSP fusion protein in HepG2. Three groups were established for the experiment: group A with HepG2 transfected by pFLAG-CMV8 as negative control, group B with HepG2 transfected by pFLAG-CMV8 and stimulated by 100 ng/ml TNF-alpha, and group C with HepG2 transfected by pFLAG-CMV8-CSP and stimulated by 100 ng/ml TNF-alpha. Dual-luciferase assay and EMSA were performed to detect the nuclear translocation and activation of NF-kappaB, to observe if pFLAG-CMV8-CSP suppressed the activation of NF-KB in HepG2 stimulated by TNF-alpha. RESULT: The expression of pFLAG-CMV8-CSP was localized on cytoplasm of HepG2. The activity ratio of firefly luciferase to Renilla luciferase in group C (0.228 +/- 0.029) was significantly lower than both groups A (0.438 +/- 0.085) and B (0.571 +/- 0.030) (P < 0.05). EMSA showed that the band in group C was significantly weaker than group B. CONCLUSION: Plasmodium yoelii CSP localizes in the cytoplasm of HepG2 and inhibits the activation and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB in HepG2 stimulated by TNF-alpha.

[Recombinant Plasmodium yoelii expressing green fluorescent protein in erythrocytic and mosquito stages].

OBJECTIVE: To generate recombinant Plasmodium yoelii BY265 strain which can express green fluorescent protein (GFP) in erythrocytic and mosquito stages. METHODS: Recombinant plasmid containing P. berghei ssu-rrna and GFP genes were linearized by Sac II. The linearized plasmid was introduced into the erythrocytic stage of P. yoelii by electroporation. Kunming mice were infected with the recombinant parasites. After 24-30 hours post-infection, mice were treated with 70 microg/ml of pyrimethamine intraperitoneally for 5-6 d, and tail vein blood was then collected to make smear for parasite count. The parasites were examined by PCR. Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were used to bite mice infected with the recombinant parasite. At the 7th and 16th day after the bite, oocyst development in mosquitoes was observed by fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: The recombinant parasites expressed GFP in erythrocytic stage, and the GFP and ssu-rrna genes were amplified by PCR in the recombinant parasites. The mosquito infection experiment showed a normal development of the recombinant parasites. CONCLUSION: Transgenic P. yoelii BY265 strain has been established with stable expression of GFP in both erythrocytic and mosquito stages.